Chapter Text
The sun rose gradually over the city of San Francisco. All seemed quiet and at peace. For a moment, the world was still and simply breathing. Of course, that moment was shattered when someone let out an unnaturally large belch inside a replica of the famous Sphinx.
“Armon!” Nefertina yelled as she stormed into the main room of their shared ‘home.’ The one-armed mummy looked up from watching Saturday morning cartoons to glare at the only female of their little undead group.
“Yes, Nefertina?” he asked, his single hand still resting on the couch, looking completely unconcerned.
“How dare you steal my Chinese takeout! I just went to get it, and it’s gone! How could you eat my crab rangoon? I was saving it!” she demanded angrily, fists clenched at her sides.
“You mean the little white box in the cold sarcophagus? I didn’t know it was yours,” Armon replied, calm as ever—prompting Nefertina to yell even louder.
“My name was on it! So don’t you dare say you didn’t know it was mine!” she growled.
By this time, the shouting had attracted the other two mummies, Ja-Kal and Rath. Both looked flabbergasted at the scene.
“Please tell me why you two are fighting at six in the morning,” Ja-Kal asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Because Armon doesn’t know how to keep his hand to himself when it comes to someone else’s food!” Nefertina explained, before spinning her fury toward their leader.
“Why don’t you do your job for once? You know, make sure we’re shown some respect? This is like the fifth time this has happened, and you’ve never done anything to stop it! You know what? Forget it! I’m going to get some air,” she yelled, stomping off to grab her motorcycle and blow off some steam.
The three guys looked at each other, clueless, clearly not understanding what the big deal was.
“Ahh!” They all heard a scream and rushed to see that Presley and Kahti had nearly been run over as Nefertina sped away.
“Wow! What did you guys do to set her off? If she wasn’t dead already, I’d have thought she was Psm-ing,” the twelve-year-old asked, looking genuinely concerned.
“Um… what’s Psm-ing?” Armon asked dumbly, which earned a groan from the others.
“So… my Prince, what brings you to our home?” Ja-Kal asked calmly, trying to restore some sense of order.
“Oh, I was curious,” Presley said, shifting his backpack nervously, “if you knew anything about this new exhibit my mom is overseeing at the museum. It’s opening in a few days. I thought you might know something about… these strange items.”
“Well, if you show them to me, I can certainly tell you all about their magical value. After all, that’s my job,” Rath said, his tone confident and knowledgeable, chest puffing out slightly.
Presley pulled a folded piece of paper from his backpack and handed it to Rath. Rath blinked at it, then read the title aloud slowly.
“The… Lost Treasures of Lemuria?” he said, voice calm and precise, like a scholar tasting a word for the first time.
Ja-Kal’s eyes narrowed, studying the paper like a hunter tracking prey. “Lemuria… what is that?”
Armon tilted his head. “Lost treasures… in… where?”
Presley grinned, bouncing on his toes. “Okay, so Lemuria is this lost continent. Way older than Egypt. People say it sank under the ocean, but some of its treasures survived. And my mom says some of the stuff in this exhibit came from there. Magical stuff. Really powerful stuff. Like… not your average museum junk.”
Rath leaned closer, tracing the paper with a finger. “Lemurian magic, huh? Ancient, yes, but… different from Egyptian. Clever, versatile. Interesting.”
Ja-Kal stepped closer, voice calm but firm. “We should check these artifacts in case Scarab uses them to harm Presley. Keep your eyes sharp. One false move and we’re sitting ducks.”
Ten minutes later, the mummies and Presley were in the museum’s exhibition hall, where dozens of unusual and dazzling artifacts were displayed in a unique style.
They browsed for about half an hour before Rath squinted at a tall, ornate mirror tucked behind a velvet rope. Its surface shimmered faintly, like liquid glass under sunlight.
“Wait… that one?”
“Yes!” Presley said, practically bouncing. “That’s the Mirror of Anima. Mom says it doesn’t just show your heart’s deepest desire—it can react to it. Sometimes, it can make it… real.”
Ja-Kal stepped closer, studying the mirror carefully. “Dangerous, then. The eyes of the hunter must be sharper than the eyes of the prey. One false move and the hunter is caught unaware.”
Armon tilted his head. “So… it bites?”
“Metaphorical teeth,” Ja-Kal said, deadpan. “It reacts to intent. The heart that stirs it must be known… or it will find its mark regardless.”
Rath leaned closer, running a finger along the carved frame. “The Egyptians called this kind of magic… sophisticated. Older, yes, but it doesn’t frighten me. Lemurian methods are clever, but in the right hands, this could teach a lot.”
Presley’s eyes lit up. “Exactly! Some of these artifacts are really old, older than Egypt. The mirror isn’t just for looking at yourself—it responds if someone’s… really ready for it.”
Kahti jumped onto the base of the mirror, tail flicking. The mirror wobbled slightly, shimmering like it had noticed her. She hissed at her reflection as if it had insulted her personally.
“Yep,” Presley said, grinning. “Even Kahti knows it’s important.”
Ja-Kal’s gaze stayed fixed on the mirror. “It has smelled its prey. Observe carefully. Whoever drives this… whatever heart fuels it… must be treated with caution.”
Armon shrugged. “Weird things… got it. Sounds harmless enough.”
Rath groaned, though less skeptical than before. “Armon… one day your luck will run out.”
Presley took a step back, excitement lighting up his face. “I just… can’t wait to see it in action. Imagine what it could do!”
Meanwhile, Nefertina wandered into a nearby clothing store. She didn’t question how her prince had obtained an emergency credit card—she didn’t have the mental space.
Her attention was caught by a striking red dress hanging near the front. Carefully, she lifted it and held it against herself, stepping in front of the mirror. For just a moment… she almost looked normal. Alive.
Then—
“Ah! Monster!”
A child pointed directly at her face before running to their mother in fear.
Nefertina froze. Her reflection stared back at her—bandages, hollow eyes, the truth she could never escape. Her hands trembled as she dropped the dress. Without a word, she fled the store, tears streaming down her wrapped cheeks.
She didn’t stop riding until she reached her and Pep’s quiet spot near the Western Gate. Dismounting her motorcycle, she sank to the ground, staring out into the distance—toward where she knew he was… and where she couldn’t be.
“Why can’t I just be me?” she cried out, her voice breaking. “I’m tired of this. I don’t want to be a mummy. I don’t want to be a relic. I just want a life.”
Back at the museum, the Mirror of Anima trembled. Its surface rippled like water, reacting to Nefertina’s heartfelt wish. A faint, glowing reflection formed—not of the present museum, but of a bright, sunlit street where she walked free, hair loose, dressed in modern clothes, with Pep running beside her.
“Uh… guys?” Presley whispered, eyes wide. “I think it just… reacted.”
Rath leaned closer, squinting. “To what?”
Ja-Kal’s gaze stayed fixed on the mirror, his expression calm but sharp. “It has smelled its prey. We need to tread carefully—whatever heart drives this… it is not to be underestimated.”
The mirror shimmered again, a pulse of magic spreading across the artifacts. In that moment, the museum felt… alive.